NEWS FROM THE FRONTIER

Dear friends –

In good news for European consumers, the EU Parliament has voted for common sense in rejecting an amendment to restrict meat alternatives from using terms like 'burger' and 'sausage'. One critic of the restrictions said they were “likely to confuse European consumers who are already accustomed to terms such as ‘veggie burger’”.

Food Frontier commented in local media coverage on this development and shared n ationally representative 2019 Colmar Brunton research from Australia that indicates existing plant based labelling is fit for purpose (more detail below).

Meanwhile, the end of lockdown restrictions in Melbourne has brought renewed energy to our city and our team, buoying us amongst a continued busy period for the rest of the year. In the past month, our team has appeared internationally across seven online panels and presentations, while continuing to progress our strategic planning for 2021.

Read on for the latest in alternative proteins.

FOOD FRONTIER UPDATES

CEO Thomas King joined a panel discussion at The Australian’s Global Food Forum, which featured leaders across Australia’s agribusiness sector and from global FMCG companies. Thomas spoke to the economic and agricultural opportunities that alternative proteins offer, highlighting the need for diversifying our protein production with more sustainable options as global demand rises.

The team joined panels at the Smart Protein Summit India, the Cultivated Meat Symposium, and The Environmental Film Festival Australia, as well as shared the findings of our report on plant-based meat’s nutrition to a range of nutritionists, nutrition authorities and product developers from leading retailers and FMCG companies.

The Weekly Times spoke to our Director of Policy and Government Relations, Sam Lawrence, on the EU Parliament’s decision not to restrict plant-based meat labelling. Sam explained, ”Plant-based meats in supermarkets today have highly visible product qualifiers that define their content. Terms like ‘vegie’ and ‘meat-free’ indicate a plant-based product’s contents, paired with terms such as ‘burger’ and ‘mince’ that define their utility."

DEVELOPMENTS DOWN UNDER

Mushroom-based meat alternative Fable Food Co. has launched new ready meals, which are available at 600 Woolworths stores across the country.
Founder and CEO of Change Foods Dave Bucca was featured in The Spoon. He explained how the Australian company is using fermentation-based cellular agriculture technology to create dairy products without the cow, after recently setting up its headquarters in San Francisco.
Australian plant-based meat company v2food has raised $77 million, which will fund completion of their Victorian production hub and expansion into overseas markets.

Source: Fable Food Co.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

After last year's successful trial producing meat at the International Space Station, Israeli cellular agriculture company Aleph Farms has launched Aleph Zero, a program to advance production of cell-cultivated meat in the harshest environments, such as space.
McDonald’s Hong Kong & Macau has launched six new dishes featuring OmniPork’s plant-based meat, which OmniFoods CEO called the “most monumental plant-based protein collaboration".
Texan start-up BioBQ is working to create a brisket product cultivated from cells, focusing on the layered texture that brisket is famous for.
British plant-based company The Meatless Farm has raised US$31M to support its expansion across the UK, Europe, US and Asia, new product lines and building out its Canadian manufacturing facilities.

Source: Aleph Farms

WHY ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS?

A study from Deakin University has found that Australians who follow an eating pattern resembling the Planetary Health Diet will save around AU$1,800 a year, compared to those who follow a more typical Australian diet. The Planetary Health Diet comprises mostly plant-based foods and has been determined by the EAT- Lancet Commission as the optimal diet both for human health and the environment. Lead Deakin researcher Tara Goulding said: “There is often a perception that eating a healthy diet that is also good for the environment is unachievable, partly because it will cost more. This study shows that Australians can be confident that it is more affordable to eat a healthy diet that supports the planet.”

Source: Getty Images

We hope you are staying well as we move towards the close of this challenging and historic year. We thank you for your continued support and as always, please get in touch with any ideas, questions or feedback.

To discover more of the latest on alternative proteins, visit our News page.

The Food Frontier Team

Powered by philanthropy, Food Frontier is proudly independent.
Consider making a gift today to help us create a better food future.

Food Frontier is the independent think tank and expert advisor on alternative proteins in Australia and New Zealand. Our vision is a sustainable, nutritious and diversified protein supply.

Please forward this update to anyone who might be interested.

Friends and colleagues can sign up to our newsletter at FoodFrontier.org.

Food Frontier Institute Ltd, Melbourne, VIC

Preference | Unsubscribe